The Best Airline Stocks: Delta, American, United

Shares of the big carriers soar while the regionals stall. Like shrinking legroom, this trend will continue.

A rally in airline shares has left small players behind. Delta (ticker: DAL) shares have returned 120% over the past year and United Continental Holdings (UAL) 72%. American Airlines Group (AAL), which began trading in December following the merger of American and U.S. Airways, is up 36% so far this year – just 38 trading days.